I have to hand it to the French, they are often first. In fashion, food, art, culture, and now the tuba. Thomas Leleu, a 23-year-old tubist from Lille just won the French equivalent to the Grammy’s (Victoires de la Musique Classique 2012) The award was “ Révélation soliste instrumental de l’année ” (which I think means Best New Instrumental Soloist of the Year), and it’s the first time it has been awarded to a tubist. Click here to view a clip from the show, including a performance of the first movement of Convergences by Jean-Phillipe Vanbeselaere. Félicitations Thomas!

John Manning

Welcome

Welcome to TubaHead. My name is John Manning. I play in the Atlantic Brass Quintet and teach tuba and euphonium at the University of Iowa. TubaHead is designed to be about tuba-related stuff; tubas in the news, my tuba studio, my travels and performances, my photography, and occasional off-topic discussions. I like to include at least one image per post, I don't go into a lot of detail, and I try to keep my opinions brief and positive. I hope you enjoy the content and all of the links below, and thanks for stopping by.